disspelling that's folks' notion that robert gates has it right. >> robert gates has a lot of credibility on both sides of the aisle in this town. the president kept him because he thought he was an effective defense secretary as a holdover from the bush administration. that doesn't happen very often. now him coming out and criticizing the president's passion for sending the troops into battle with not maybe believing it can be won, that's a serious critique. >> and a critique the president did answer a few minutes anything white house. let's listen in. [inaudible question] >> secretary gates did an outstanding job for me as secretary of defense. as he notes, he and i and the rest of my national security team came up with a strategy for afghanistan that was the right strategy and we are continuing to execute. and i think that what is important is that we got the policy right, but this is hard. and it always has been. whenever you have men and women that you are sending into harm's way, after having already made enormous investments in another country, then part of your job as commander-in